Geared elevation work positioner



June 19, 1962 c. N. ARONSON GEARED ELEVATION WORK POSITIONER Filed June 3, 1957 P10. 1.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN 0 Clzarjes A/iAmnson, BY

ATTORNEYS.

June 19, 1962 c. N. ARONSON GEARED ELEVATION WORK POSITIONER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1957 INVENTOR. CharlesNAronson,

ATTORNEYS.

June 19, 1962 c. N. ARONSON GEARED ELEVATION WORK POSITIONER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 3, 1957 INVENTOR. NArozzson ATTORNEYS.

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Charles United States Patent 3,039,766 GEARED ELEVATION WORK POSITIONER Charies N. Aronson, Arcade, N.Y., assignor to Aronson Machine Company, Inc., Arcade, N.Y. Filed June 3, 1957, Ser. No. 663,066 7 Claims. (Cl. 269-61) This invention relates to so-called work positioners, that is, apparatus for adjustably supporting work pieces to facilitate performing various fabricating operations thereon. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus of this class having novel means for elevating and lowering the work.

In the general form of the machine of the present invention a work receiving table is mounted for universal positional adjustment to present work pieces mounted thereon in any desired angular attitude. This much is known in the prior art. In addition, novel means are provided for raising and lowering the work table and its adjusting mechanism. Raising and lowering means are broadly old but the present invention provides a wholly novel means for efiecting raising and lowering and for securely and rigidly supporting the work table at various elevations.

An important feature of the present inventon consists in providing raising and lowering means and guided support means for vertical adjustment of the work table and associated apparatus which will give adequate support throughout a desired vertical range of movement without obstructing or interfering with free access to the work table and in such manner that work may project laterally beyond the work table in any direction in all positions of vertical adjustment.

Prior art supports for vertical adjustment generally involve columns or vertically extending support devices which obstruct the work table both as to free access thereto and as to the projection of work pieces laterally therefrom. In the arrangement of the present invention the plane of the work table represents the top plane of the apparatus, even in the lowermost position of the work table, so that lateral obstructions to the work table are entirely eliminated.

Speaking generally, the form of the present apparatus illustrated herein by way of example comprises a rigid base portion with front and rear support members rising rigidly therefrom and with a housing or casing portion mounted for vertical movement relative to the support members. In the exemplary embodiment the housing or casing comprises a single rigid vertical adjustable enclosure which houses and supports virtually all of the operating parts of the mechanism whereby such operating parts have relatively fixed and rigid bearing relationships with respect to each other and whereby greater over-all accuracy and smoothness and rigidity of operation are "attained.

A single embodiment of the principles of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the follovw'ng specification. How ever, it is to be understood that such embodiment is set forth herein by way of example only and that various mechanical modifications and variations may be introduced vnthout departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

1G. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a general side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but on a larger scale and with parts thereof broken away to illustrate the supporting and adjusting structure in cross-section; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1 but on a larger scale and with portions of the structure broken away for more detailed illustration.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings and the numeral 10 designates a horizontally extending base structure which has rigidly fixed thereto the lower ends of four vertically extending posts comprising two front posts 11 and two rear posts 12. In the illustrated form the posts 11 and 12 are generally circular in cross section and the front posts 11 have vertically extending rack teeth formed along their front faces as at 13 while the rear posts 12 have similar rack teeth along their rear faces as at 14.

A vertically movable support housing or casing is designated generally by the numeral 16 and comprises a top wall 17, a bottom wall 18, an inclined front wall 19, rear wall 20, and inner and outer side walls 21 and 22, respectively. Front and rear cross shafts 24 and 25 are rotatably mounted in hearings in the lower parts of the inner and outer sides 21 and 22 and have pinions 27 and 28 fixed thereto which mesh with the rack formations 13 and 14, respectively. Means are provided for synchronizing the pinions 27 and 28 whereby level raising and lowering movement of the housing 16 is assured. In the illustrated form of the invention the pinions 27 and 28 are power operated and the power operation and synchronizing means will now be described.

A synchronizing and pinion driving shaft 30 is power operated in either direction by chain and sprocket connection, as at 31, with the output shaft of a reversible electric motor 32. Shaft 30 is connected to worm shafts 33 by pairs of bevel pinions 34 and worm shafts 33 drive worm wheels designated 35 in FIG. 3. Helical pinions 36 are fixed for rotation with worm wheels 35 and drive helical gears 37 on cross shafts 24 and 25. The axes of helical pinions 36 and helical gears 37 are horizontal and at right angles to each other.

It will be noted from the foregoing that selective operation of motor 32 in opposite directions rotates the pinions 27 and 28 synchronously in opposite directions whereby they move upwardly and downwardly along the posts 11 and 12 carrying the housing 16 correspondingly upwardly and downwardly with them. The substantial reduction ratio of the gear train and, more particularly, the worm drive-s included therein, renders the drive gearing selflocking. That is, the mass of the housing 16 and the mechanism carried thereby, plus the Work receiving table and the work thereon, whatever the mass thereof, cannot cause rotation of'the pinions 27 and 28 to change the elevation of housing 16, such changes of elevation being brought about solely by deliberate and selective operation of motor 32.

Referring particularly to FiGS. 3 and 4, backing-up rollers 38 and 39 are mounted for free rotation'between the inner and outer walls 21 and 22' of housing 16 op posite to each of the pinions 27 and 28, respectively. Thus there is substantially no lateral or flexural stress against the posts 11 and 12 as a result of the driving engagement of the pinions therewith.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be noted that top wall 17 of housing 16 projects to the left as shown in those figures and, together with inclined front wall 19, forms a horn structure which supports a work table 40. r The work table 40 is attached to the housing 16 in a manner which permits the work table to be adjusted universally about vertical and horizontal axes in a manner which permits the work thereon to be presented at virtually any desired angular attitude. While such adjusting means forms no direct part of the present invention, further reference thereto will be had later herein. 7

The load on the work table 44 acting downwardly exerts a counter-clockwise turning moment about the axis J of pinions 27. Since this load capacity is commonly of the order of from to tons it is obvious that secure support requires a resisting force couple of considerable magnitude. According to the principle of the present 'invention'this resisting couple is provided by the action of one or more rear pinions 28 acting on the rack teeth 14, the effective lever arm of this resisting couple being the horizontal distance between the pinions 27 and 28.

It will be noted that this resisting lever arm extends horizontally and has virtually no vertical extent. Accordingly the pinions 27 and 28 may be run up substantially to the top ends of posts 11 and 12 at max mum elevation and may be lowered to a point where top wall 17 of the housing '16 abuts the top ends of the posts 11 and 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be noted that with table-40in the horizontal position illustrated in full lines in the drawings there is no rearward obstruction whatever, even in the lowermost position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Conventional prior art vertically adjustable supporting arrangements generally involve vertical posts or columns wherein the resisting force movement afforded thereby is measured by the vertical length of the slide bearing or bearings thus involving post or column structures which are necessarily of such height as to rise upwardly beyond the table rearwardly thereof in some or all positions of vertical adjustment, and more particularly in the lower positions of the table.

The means for angularly adjusting the table 40 relatively to its supporting housing 16 will merely be described-in a general way since this general mode of adjustment is not novel to the present invention. Table 40 has a depending pivot post 4-1 journaled on a vertical axis (in the illustrated position of the table 49) in a housing 42. 'Power drive means for rotating the table on the axis of pivot post 41 comprises a combined reversible drive motor and variable drive unit designated 44 in FIG. 3, a chain and sprocket connection 45 leading to a change-speed transmission 46, chain and sprocket connection 47 to a shaft 48-, and a bevel gear drive 49' to post 41.

The table 40 and its supporting housing 42 are also adjustable about a horizontal axis by means of journals 50 of housing 42' which rotate in bearings 51 fixed to the main housing 16, as indicated in FIG. 3. Gear sectors 54 fixed to housing 42 are rotated by pinions 55 fixed to a cross shaft 56 which is gear connected to a brake motor 58. By'the foregoing means table 40 may be tilted from the full line position of FIGS. 2 and 3 through approximately 135 to the dot and dash line position of PEG. 3.

I claim: a,

1. Apparatus for supporting work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning said apparatus comprising a base and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means comprising a mounting portion and a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom, said base including a pair of vertical posts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent'of said work supporting portion and having rack formations therealong, pinions carried by said mounting portion andspaced horizontally to mesh with said rack formations and form a generally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending work supporting portion extending above said posts when'said vertically adjustable means is'in lowered position, and means for synchronizing said pinions and rotating the same simultaneously to drive the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly by meshing rolling engagement'of said pinions .along said rack formations. r V 1 12; Apparatus for supporting work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising a base and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means comprising a mounting porposts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent of said work supporting portion and having rack formations therealong, pinions carried by said mounting portion and spaced horizontally to mesh with said rack formations and form agenerally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending work supporting portion extending above said posts when said vertically adjustable means, is in lowered position, means for synchronizing said pinions and rotating the same simultaneously to drive the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly by meshing rolling engagement of said pinions along said rack formations, and thrust rollers carried by said mounting portion and engaging against said posts opposite to said pinions, said rack formations, pinions, and thrust rollers being aligned in a vertical plane through said pair of posts.

3. Apparatus for supporting work-pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising a base and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means comprising a mounting portion and a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent to the upper end thereof, said base including a pair of vertical posts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent of said work supporting portion and having gear means thereon, a pair of gear means carried by said mounting portion and spaced horizontally to engage with the gear means of said posts and form a generally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending work supporting portion being disposed above said posts, and means for synchroniz ng said second gear means and driving the same simultaneously to move the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly with respect to said base.

4. Apparatus for supporting work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising base means and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means having a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent to the upper end thereof, one of said means including a pair of vertical posts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent of said work supporting portion and having rack formations therealong, pinions carried by the other of said means and spaced horizontally tomesh with said rack formations and form a generally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending Work supporting portion being disposed above said posts, and means for synchronizing said pinions and rotating the same simultaneously to drive the vertically adjustable means upwardly anddownwardly by meshing rolling engagement of said pinions along said rack formations.

5. Apparatus for supporting work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising base means and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means having a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly'therefrom adjacent to the upper end thereof, one of said means including a pairof vertical posts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent'of said work supporting portion and having rack formations therealong,rpinions carried by the other of said means and spaced horizontally to mesh with said rack formations and form a generally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending work supporting portion being disposed above said posts, means for synchronizing said pinions and rotating the same simultaneously to drive the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly by meshing rolling engagement of said pinions along said rack formations, and thrust rollers carried by said other of said means and engaging against said posts opposite .to said pinions, said rack formations pinions and thrust rollers being aligned in a vertical plane through said pair of posts.

6. Apparatus .forsupporting work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising base means and verticallyv adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means having a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent to the upper end thereof, one of said means including a pair of vertical posts spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent of said work supporting portion and having gear means thereon, a pair of gear means carried by the other of said means and spaced horizontally to engage with the gear means of said posts and form a generally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending Work supporting portion being disposed above said posts, and means for synchronizing said second gear means and driving the same simultaneously to move the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly with respect to said base means.

7. Apparatus for supporting Work pieces for vertical adjustable positioning, said apparatus comprising a base and vertically adjustable means mounted thereon, said vertically adjustable means comprising a mounting portion and a work supporting portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom, a pair of synchronized gear connections between said base and said vertically adjustable means mounting portion, said pair of gear connections being spaced horizontally in the general direction of lateral extent of said work supporting portion to form a gen- 6 erally horizontal torque arm, said laterally extending work supporting portion being disposed above said base and said gear connections in all positions of vertical adjustment, and means for driving said synchronized gear connections simultaneously to drive the vertically adjustable means upwardly and downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 698,896 Beierstorf Apr. 29, 1902 1,350,087 Trapp Aug. 17, 1920 1,701,963 Weaver Feb. 12, 1929 1,725,329 Blandford Aug. 20, 1929 2,318,791 Mueller May 11, 1943 2,477,169 Brekelbaum July 26, 1949 2,579,688 McCormick Dec. 25, 1951 2,809,695 Novick Oct. 15, 1957 2,835,964 Yarwood May 27, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Ransome Bulletin 210B, page 8, received Div. 14, Nov. 22, 1946. 

